DS Download Service: June 30

Share.

Doodling, carnivals, and a whole lot of leftovers this week.

By Jack DeVries

Since the launch of the Nintendo Channel for the Wii earlier this year, Nintendo has been providing a DS Download Service with demos of released and upcoming DS games. Wii owners can boot up the DS Download Service through the Nintendo Channel and download various playable demos directly to their Nintendo DS, using the Download Play option. It works in the same way as the in-store download stations. The third-party games get updated every week and we've got info on this week's batch to let you know a little more about what you're getting.

The week of June 30

Crosswords DS - Wordsearch Some gamers might recognize this demo from the June 16 update. It's the same one. Wordsearch showcases another of the title's game modes. Players look for words in an assortment of letters and use the stylus to highlight the ones they find. There are two puzzle sizes in the demo. The small one has over a dozen animals to find in the wordsearch. The large puzzle is hobbies and is so large players have to use the touch screen to scroll through the letters. Both puzzles are randomized, with different words each time.

PictoimagePictoimage is a Pictionary-esque game by SEGA that releases later in the summer. The demo offers both a single player and multiplayer mode to try out. The single player has AI teammates draw images on the top screen while the player guesses what the image is. The multiplayer is the same basic concept, but the players take turns drawing an image, and then passing it to a friend to have them guess. There are enough words to make it through two multiplayer rounds before they start to repeat. The game features both touch screen writing and a keyboard.

Carnival Games The DS version of the best-selling Wii title features numerous games currently being showcased at county fairs around the country. The demo has three of the stylus controlled minigames. Frog Leap has players pull a catapult back to send frogs, rubber ducks and cannonballs at floating platforms. Buckets of Fun is the game where players toss a baseball into a tilted bucket and try to keep it from bouncing out. Dunk Tank has players trace a line on the touch screen, trying to match the path and speed of a baseball so that they can dunk a carnie into a tank of water.

The Incredible Hulk Same demo as last week. See Hulk. See Hulk Smash. Smash, Hulk, Smash. The Amaze-developed game is already out, but curious Hulkamaniacs can download this single level demo. The dash and smash game has the Hulk running through the arctic, punching people and ice walls. Players can also use some of the special moves like the Rage Vault off conveniently placed satellites.

Kung Fu Panda Also a leftover from last week. The Kung Fu Panda demo was the same one we got to play back in February. It's a tutorial level that teaches the player about the stylus controlled battle system. Players learn to make combo attacks, grab and throw projectiles, and summon other characters for special moves. It's a pretty accurate depiction of what the rest of the game is like so should be useful for curious gamers.

Nintendo also keeps a selection of first party titles up for download. They're not cycled out as often and most of them have been there since the Nintendo Channel launched.

Brain Age 2 The Brain Age 2 demo features three quick play modes. There's the Brain Age Test that will give the player an approximate brain age based on a verbal match of rock, paper, scissors. There's also a quick play training mode that shows off the rotating letters minigame, complete with touch screen letter recognition. Finally the Quick play sudoku lets players enjoy a quick sudoku puzzle in one of the better presentations for the system.

Brain Age The older sibling of the Brain Age 2 demo. It's the same kind of deal. There's a Brain Age Test minigame that has players shout colors into the DS microphone. The training game is a simple math problem test that uses the touch screen to write. Sudoku is in this one two, which means you've got two free sudoku puzzles you can play if you get both demos.

Flash Focus Flash Focus is a game designed to improve focus and hand-eye coordination. It features a simplified Eye Age test where players remember the direction letters are facing as they flash by on the screen. The training game is more hands on. It's a baseball minigame where players have to tap the ball to hit it. The pitches get harder each time the player connects with the ball and the game ranks you at the end.

Crosswords DS For the non-Sudoku inclined, Crosswords DS features the classic crossword puzzles that have been gracing newspapers long before number puzzles. The demo features the classic Crosswords mode, one of three gameplay modes in the final version. Players can select the difficulty of the puzzle, as well as the option to turn on an assist mode that lets the player know if the answer is right or wrong. The whole demo uses the touch screen so players can see how well the letter recognition system works.